I love weddings!

This is my youngest daughter — Little Man’s Mommy. These are her wedding pictures. She and her husband celebrated their 5th anniversary last week.

the details …

the venues — however elegant or simple …

I love the romance …

And, oh please, when a couple marries — let there be commitment …

I love the “whatever we face, we’re in it together” …

I love the hope … that unseen faith of a beautiful life that couples have when they begin the journey into their future.

If you’ve read this blog for very long, you know that hope holds a special place in my heart. I’ve told you stories about our kids at Hope Unlimited for Children. If you missed them, I invite you to read these posts: HERE and HERE

A few years ago, Renaissance Man returned from one of his trips to Brazil and told me that it would be really great if we could find a way to put together some kind of wedding closet for Hope’s graduate girls to borrow from whenever they married. He said he’d learned that it costs 2-3 months’ wages for our girls to RENT a wedding dress … and the expense had caused a real financial burden for some of our recent brides.

Every girl wants to feel beautiful on her wedding day, but Renaissance Man and I know how especially important that is for our girls. As you know if you’ve read my previous posts, the poverty and culture our girls knew before coming to Hope told them that their only value was in being a sexual object. Many of them have been prostituted since the time they were 10 or 11 years old. That’s beyond anything most of us can imagine …

While in the care of our wonderful Christian houseparents and social workers, these wounded girls learn — usually for the first time — about dating and healthy relationships, family and fathers, and our Heavenly Father whose love never fails.

So … a wedding closet it would be!

Over the next year I searched eBay and shopgoodwill.com and thrift stores. Eventually my guest room closet looked like this — and you’re only seeing half of it.

There were 29 wedding gowns in a variety of sizes, fabrics, and styles …

Simple dresses …

and heavily beaded ones …

Designers like Oleg Cassini, Mori Lee, Nina Canacci, Jacqueline, St. Patrick’s, Gloria Vanderbilt, Alfred Angelo, Lana Bissett, Scott McClintock. Many of the gowns were brand new. The most expensive one still bore its $980 price tag.

It was the dress I paid the most for: $40.03 including shipping.Yes, I’m very serious.

Average cost of the dresses (including shipping): $20.62.

Such beautiful details …

There were also 10 pairs of shoes … from simple to elegant. Most of them were brand new; a few were worn for only a couple of hours.

Dolce, Nina, Frederico Leone, Michaelangelo, Mondolfo

Average price (including shipping): $8.13

and 5 veils …

There was nice costume jewelry …

and two tiaras still in their original boxes with their $99 price tags.

I paid an average of $7.28 each.

Many of us have experience with wedding dress sizes varying greatly between designers, so the dresses were labeled according to bust, waist, and hip measurements (after I converted to metric and translated the words into Portuguese!) … then stored in dress bags and packed into several large boxes. Over several trips, we got them all to Brazil.

Months later, Renaissance Man learned that Alex, one of our graduate young men was getting married to one of our former day students. He asked Alex if his fiancee had a wedding dress yet. He sadly shook his head “no” — so Renaissance Man told him about the dresses. I could hardly wait to see which one Adriana (not her real name) chose!

When we finally saw wedding pictures, Renaissance Man smiled at me — knowing how much I must be loving seeing the beautiful young bride in a dress that I had lovingly chosen. But I wasn’t smiling. I had never seen that dress in my life!

As it turned out, Alex and Adriana decided upon a very simple ceremony — and a short dress for the wedding.

Don’t they look

They should be! You see, unlike Alex, Adriana has a rich heritage of family. On their wedding day when our missionary friend drove Alex to his wedding, they were tasked with stopping to pick up Adriana’s parents. Before Adriana’s father would leave his home, he said, “We must first commit this important day to the Lord.” He instructed everyone to hold hands as he prayed a prayer of protection and blessings upon his daughter and Alex. What a wonderful thing for Alex, rescued from the streets at age 12, to be “adopted” into a solid, loving family in his 28th year of life! We could ask for nothing better for the children of Hope … except that when they have children of their own, they become the parents they once dreamed of having.

A carpenter by trade, Alex chose to build his and Adriana’s house on a bluff overlooking Hope Mountain … in gratitude for what Hope did in his life. You can just see it inside Alex’s “embrace.” This is the same Hope Mountain I told you HERE a few weeks ago we almost had to close — but God intervened …

Last year, Alex shared his dream of working for Hope in full time ministry. It was an answer to our prayers because we needed someone with his charismatic, tough-love ability to relate to the kids. He can certainly relate … and has become our most valued youth counselor.

Adriana works in a fancy downtown hair salon using the skills she learned as a day student in our beautician classes.

Their home is visible from Hope Mountain … barely more than a bump on a ridge. But every day, it serves as confirmation that 20 years ago three men were following God’s will when they went to Brazil to see if they could do something about the systematic killing of street children. They did do something. They provided a haven in a heartless world. With God’s help, they provided hope … and a future … for thousands of children like Alex and Adriana.

And those wedding dresses? I just learned that Hope graduate and friend Nayara is getting married in September. I may even get to attend her wedding! I wonder if she’ll wear one of the dresses? I hope so, but if not, that’s okay. I’ll admit … I was disappointed that Adriana didn’t wear one of “my” dresses, but I had to be honest with myself. The dresses weren’t about me. They never were, but I almost forgot that …

Well, it’s been a long post, but I warned you … I love weddings! If you made it to the end, you probably do, too.

Hi Susan,WOW this is incredible and so your are amazing.So nice to meet you and thank you for stopping by my wedding party too and your kind comment. I have so enjoyed my visit here and look forward to stopping by again soon.Hugs from Texas,Celestina Marie

Oh Susan, your wedding closet has me in tears. What an amazing privilege and honor to serve our beautiful Savior this way. It goes to show that He is so detailed about the intricacies, hopes, and desires of our heart. What a perfect Bridegroom we await.

I love the pictures of your daughter’s wedding, especially those flowers. I also love the pics of Alex and Ana–too, too cute those two.

Holly, my first thought was to contact David’s Bridal and apply for a contribution. I did that, but you never know if anything will ever come of something like that (and it didn’t), so I didn’t want to wait. I had the luxury of wanting beautiful dresses in good condition in a variety of styles and sizes — I wasn’t a bride looking for “THE” dress — so I could be more patient and pay less. After watching online auctions for awhile, I realized that I could almost certainly limit my cost to $35 per dress (including shipping!) and get some gorgeous options for our girls. So that’s what I did.

Of course, what good is a wedding dress without a veil…and shoes…and jewelry…

So now you know how I decided to do THAT part of the project! 🙂 After several months of “all things wedding” taking over my guest room, I was more than happy to ship the beauties off to Brazil. Who knows what the next leg of their journey will include? I can’t wait to see!

Wow…what a fabulous feel good post. I loved reading this. I always marvel at the wedding dresses I see in the thrift stores and wonder how and why they ended up there. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend. 🙂

Oh, Susan, what a wonderful post about weddings! Where to start….first, your daughter was so lovely on her wedding day. Love all the detailing on the back of her gown, the lace, the buttons ~ just stunning! I really wish everyone could understand that the commitment to God is sooo important.

I am amazed at the wonderful work you and your husband have been doing for the unfortunate. How fun it must be to “shop” for others and how fulfilling to help these girls imagine their dreams. I so hope you get to attend the next wedding! Thanks so much for sharing your story of love and hope ~ it is very uplifting! May God bless you always in your endeavors!

Oh Susan! This was one of the most amazing posts I have ever read! You and your hubby just blow me away not only with your generosity and your ministry but your complete creativity in how you are able to bless these young women/couples as they enter into this sacred union. It really makes me think about how I can be praying for God to reveal to me unique ways in which I can be serving Him…not just sending checks, you know? Thank you so much for sharing this with us at Inspiration Friday…your posts are always the epitome of “Inspiring”! 🙂Blessings,Vanessa

Just stopped by to let you know I featured your post after all, Susan. It is under my post titled, Honored Wedding Guest. I hope many more are blessed by it. Thank you again for sharing with us.Blessings!

Get new posts via email…

First name (optional)

Last name (optional)

Email *

MY PLACE TO YOURS IS …

an online treasury of things that make me smile … and some that make me weep. Tablescapes, vintage linens, DIY, creative caring, inspiring stories, encouraging words … children at risk, orphan care, mixed-up priorities in today’s Church. If you want a place where “a little bit of everything” is presented from a foundation of faith and Hope, then stop by often. You’re always welcome... at My Place to Yours.

Follow on Instagram . . . for “on the fly” inspiration from My Place to Yours

Book by my Renaissance Man

Do you ever feel like something in your faith is missing – that going to church, studying the Bible, and tithing just aren't enough? What would it look like to truly follow Christ and not just believe in him?

FAITH REQUIRED

When it’s quiet here at My (virtual) Place, it’s almost always noisy at My (in real life) Place. It’s been quiet here for quite awhile. I’ve really missed you. At home it’s been crazy-noisy, ridiculously yo-yo-ish, and an emotional roller coaster. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced a period so chock-full […]

I can’t get it off my mind… The comment I made last week about downsizing my life to upsize my faith. The more I thought about it, the more I wondered just what I’d have to downsize to make that allow that to happen. I already told you we’ll be downsizing the house–which, of […]

On a breezy day, he seemed to have no care in the world. Climbing a calla leaf against the wind, he trusted his Creator and “went for it.” As I watched him reach his destination, I wondered about mankind. Why don’t we climb more … and risk more … and trust more? Same Creator […]

Welcome to My Place to Yours! I’m so glad you stopped by today. It’s a “catch-up” week around here, and I don’t have time for a full-blown tablescape … but I’ll share a few thoughts and an inspiration board instead. I was thinking about the Table with Heart … and how it draws me in while giving […]

Welcome to My Place to Yours! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends … and I’m honored that you stopped by for a visit here at the beginning of the Christmas season. If you’ve visited here before, you know how much I love old houses. One of the things […]

Yesterday I received a Christmas update from our ministry partner Philip Smith, founder and CEO of Hope Unlimited for Children. Isn’t this a wonderful picture of his family? Unfortunately, Christmas Day with the boys at Hope Mountain wasn’t all smiles. Hear the story—in Philip’s words… A patrol car pulls up in the […]

Writer’s block. I rarely have it. In fact, I usually have so many topics I want to write about that I have trouble deciding where to begin. THAT’s when I get blocked! But lately… Oh, I still have a ridiculously long list of topics to tackle, but lately I’ve had trouble getting […]

What is it about “firsts” that make them so special? The first kiss. A baby’s first smile. The first job – and paycheck. Your first house. We love “firsts”… probably because we actually notice them. They hold an awe-inspiring quality for us, and everything is beautifully new. We haven’t yet let ourselves become inattentive—or […]

Get new posts via email…

First name (optional)

Last name (optional)

Email *

Looking for something?

Copyright

Copyright 2010-2017: All photos are the property of My Place to Yours™ unless otherwise cited. Thank you for providing a link back and credit to My Place to Yours™ for any photos published elsewhere. Permission is required for commercial use.